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MIAMI BEACH, FLA.—On the heels of controversy over a vandalism case, Canadian pop star Justin Bieber has been arrested after police say he drag raced on a Miami Beach street in a yellow Lamborghini and failed a sobriety test early Thursday.

Miami Beach police confirmed the 19-year-old singer’s arrest in a tweet from the department’s official account.

Officers saw two cars racing at 4:09 a.m. Thursday, with two vehicles apparently used to block the area off, Miami Dade-Police spokesman Sgt. Bobby Hernandez told WSVN in South Florida. He says the second car was a red Ferrari, and that driver was also arrested. Both cars were towed.

Bieber failed a field sobriety test and was taken to the Miami Beach police station for a Breathalyzer and processing, Hernandez said. Bieber will be transported to the Miami-Dade County jail, Hernandez said.

An email seeking comment from publicist Melissa Victor was not immediately returned.

The street where police say Bieber was racing is a palm-tree-lined residential area in mid-Miami Beach. Along one side of the street are small apartment buildings, and on the other side are a high school, a youth centre, a golf course and a city firehouse.

Under Florida law, people under the age of 21 are considered driving under the influence if they have a blood-alcohol content of .02 per cent or more – a level he could reach with one drink. For 21 and over, it is .08 per cent.

For a first DUI offence, there is no minimum sentence and a maximum of six months, a fine of $250 to $500, and 50 hours of community service. For anyone under 21, there is an automatic six-month licence suspension.